Charlotte FC’s Stock Up, Stock Down: A second-half collapse overshadows a stellar first half by Charlotte FC

By Billy McGee (@iambillymcgee)

Kerwin Vargas against Atlanta United (Photo courtesy of Francisco Diaz/TopBin90)

Charlotte FC came out of the World Cup break hot with an impressive first half that saw them go up 2-0. The second half was a different story, with Charlotte failing to score and conceding two goals to Atlanta United, resulting in a 2-2 draw.

Here’s our stock up, stock down for Charlotte FC’s first match back from the break.

Stock Up

Liel Abada - Despite being a part of Charlotte's active roster for quite some time, Abada has not earned much time on the pitch this season. But in a match where they needed someone to step up while waiting for the arrival of Allan Saint-Maximin, Abada did just that with one of his best performances in a Charlotte FC shirt. Last night marked his second goal for the Crown, his first since August 3, 2025. Not only did the left winger score, but he also created the chance for the first goal, receiving a pass from Pep Biel and connecting with Archie Goodwin for a shot saved, followed by a Kerwin Vargas goal. Although Abada's future with the team is still up for question, a performance like last night could earn him more opportunities for the time being.

Kerwin Vargas - Much like Abada, Vargas answered the call for a winger to step up while awaiting Saint-Maximin. Vargas was one of the more active players on Charlotte FC's attack. He took five shots, putting two on target and scoring the first goal, and went 2/2 on accurate long balls and 1/1 on accurate crosses. Vargas also did well in duels, winning 5/7 ground duels and his only aerial duel. With rumors of his departure, Vargas is showing his value and what will need to be replaced if he were to leave for another club.

Stock Down

Playing with a lead - Earlier in the season, Charlotte struggled to win games when they didn’t score first. After scoring twice to go up 2-0, their chances of winning looked good, but a poor second half led to a draw and the feeling that they dropped points rather than gained one. In the second half, they managed to put just three of their 13 shots on target and couldn’t find the back of the net. These are the types of games that Charlotte FC need to get three points from to make a push at finishing in the top four. Putting chances away will be key for them in their future efforts to put games away.

Archie Goodwin - Goodwin isn’t a player that needs a lot of touches to change the game, as he has shown in previous games, in this game his only big chance was saved and outside of that shot he didn’t have the opportunity to do much, having just 18 touches on the night. He failed to get another shot after the first one before being subbed off for Idan Toklomati in the 62nd minute. 

Luca de la Torre - de la Torre got the nod as the third starting midfielder, a spot that has been up for grabs for most of the season, something that won’t change after this game. He failed to impress in his 63 minutes before being taken off, having just 33 touches and not making much of a difference while on the pitch. With a short rest between games, it is possible that Dean Smith opts to go with someone else in the midfield against the New York Red Bulls on Saturday.